NOAA Fisheries Announces the Opening of the 2014 Commercial and Recreational Red Snapper Fishing Seasons in the South Atlantic Federal Waters
NOAA Fisheries announces the opening of the 2014 commercial and recreational red snapper fishing seasons in South Atlantic federal waters. NOAA Fisheries may change the commercial and recreational season dates if tropical storm or hurricane conditions exist, or are projected to exist, in the South Atlantic. If severe weather conditions exist, NOAA Fisheries will announce via NOAA Weather Radio and a Fishery Bulletin any change in the red snapper fishing seasons.
Commercial
The commercial 2014 catch limit is set at 50,994 pounds gutted weight. The commercial red snapper season opens at 12:01 a.m., local time, on July 14, 2014. During the open commercial season, the daily trip limit is 75 pounds gutted weight and there is no minimum size limit for red snapper. The commercial season will end when the annual catch limit is projected to be met. Commercial landings are updated on the Southeast Regional Office’s Web site: http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/sustainable_fisheries/acl_monitoring/commercial_sa/index.html. Another Federal Register notice and Fishery Bulletin will be published if and when the commercial annual catch limit for red snapper is projected to be met.
Recreational
The recreational 2014 catch limit is set at 22,576 fish. The recreational fishing season will
open for two weekends made up of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday and one weekend of Friday and Saturday. The dates and times that the recreational red snapper season will be open are listed in the table below. During the open recreational season, the bag limit is one fish per person per day and there is no minimum size limit for red snapper.
Thanks for posting! 3 weekends is better than 2 weekends before and the way this weather has been (every weekend fishable) it should work out great- optimism here guys!
I have yet to catch a Red Snapper. What depth are you guys catching these in? I’ve fished around the Comanche, Y73, and Gardens…no luck. Am I not deep enough?
I have a maps unique and tried a few live bottom areas also, but still nothing. Guess I’ll keep trying. You think if I went on a charter and brought a Spot they would keel hull me?
I caught two decent sized red snapper in 60’ on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Pained me to have to send them back down. Surely it’ll be unfishable weather those 3 weekends.
This year’s Red Snapper Total Allowable Catch of nearly 700,000 pounds would allow for a one fish per person per trip by-catch allowance for both sectors during the eight month grouper season if more fishermen were willing to use a Descending Device on snapper with barotrauma. Over half a million pounds of our Red Snapper TAC is being allocated to projected dead Regulatory Discards. Please consider taking pictures of your crew using a DD on floating snapper or grouper and send them with a comment to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council asking them to reduce the Discard Mortality rate for snapper/grouper species based on voluntary use of DDs. The Pacific Fishery Management Council has set the precedent for doing this for fish with a similar anatomy and life history as many of our snapper/grouper species. Research that proved the effectiveness of DDs on the West Coast is being done here now. We need to offer positive solutions and show our willingness to be wise stewards of our public resources rather than just complaining.
This year’s Red Snapper Total Allowable Catch of nearly 700,000 pounds would allow for a one fish per person per trip by-catch allowance for both sectors during the eight month grouper season if more fishermen were willing to use a Descending Device on snapper with barotrauma. Over half a million pounds of our Red Snapper TAC is being allocated to projected dead Regulatory Discards. Please consider taking pictures of your crew using a DD on floating snapper or grouper and send them with a comment to the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council asking them to reduce the Discard Mortality rate for snapper/grouper species based on voluntary use of DDs. The Pacific Fishery Management Council has set the precedent for doing this for fish with a similar anatomy and life history as many of our snapper/grouper species. Research that proved the effectiveness of DDs on the West Coast is being done here now. We need to offer positive solutions and show our willingness to be wise stewards of our public resources rather than just complaining.
Hey Chris (Freefish7),
Thanks for your endless passion that you have trying to help us all. I made a smartazz remark early on in this thread out of aggravation with the system in place.
My buddy purchased a Seaqualizer awhile back that were used to send a couple nice (20 plus) Snappa back down. Fish was bloated and not to active but caught it’s second wind on the way down the way it appeared on the rod.
You can purchase one for around $50 or use the barbless hook method you have mentioned before.
Thanks DoubleN. I did not think Descending Devices would work as well as they do when I first learned about them. Research I am currently involved with and previous studies have convinced me this technique works. This is such a simple way for us to do our part to protect our fisheries and freedom to access them. It may seem like the SAFMC does not listen to us, but they do when enough of us submit public comments supporting positive solutions. Please consider sending the council a comment before next week’s meeting letting them know some SC fishermen are using DDs and ask them to reduced discard mortality allocations based on this fact. safmc@safmc.net
Here is a link showing how the PFMC has already started giving back quota based on voluntary use of DDs. http://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/D5b_SUP_GMT_POWERPOINT_APR2013BB.pdf
Yes Squid Row, a barbless hook and weight is a cheap and affective Descending Device. Please let the SAFMC know you are using this method. Thank you for taking the extra minute to release bloated illegal fish so they will live.
It doesn’t seem to matter how fast a fish descends. Some say the faster the better to avoid predators. The key is to get them deeper than 60’ in most cases. It is recommended to release fish at 1/3 the depth caught for water deeper than 30 fathoms.
